Kong Hans Kaelder is located in an underground cellar in the oldest building in Copenhagen. The current chef is Mark Lundgaard Nielsen, whose food celebrates French fundamentals — turbot cooked in a salt crust, whole-roasted duck, a cheese cart — and old school tableside ceremony. It’s a blast if you’re in the mood for a classic fine dining experience. Bonus: It's open Mondays.

The dapper Sune Rosforth is Copenhagen’s leading importer of biodynamic wines. His quiet wine bar is the place to go any day of the week for some ham and cheese and maybe a bottle of naturally effervescent pét-nat after you’ve finished strolling Nyhavn, just around the corner. [$$-$$$]

If you’re planning on hitting the design museum or Amalienborg Palace, this elegant, traditional Danish lunch option works well. The smørrebrød and tartare are of course worth trying, but you might want to go for the biksemad, a dish of potato hash, diced meat, and fried eggs that you’d usually only eat in someone’s home. It can be hard to find restaurants that stay open on Mondays in Copenhagen, but thankfully Sankt Annæ does. [$$ - $$$]

The cooking at chef Bo Bech's dark, bustling restaurant in the city center is pared down, confident, and offered à la carte. Bech tops thin layers of avocado with caviar and almond oil, and covers unthinkably juicy slices of suckling pig with crispy artichokes. The restaurant is open seven nights a week, which is a really special thing for a restaurant like this. [$$ - $$$]

There are a number of organic and specialty hot dog carts in the city, but the most prevalent and basic hot dog, available at pølse carts all over town, is the tastiest. Each of these carts will offer a number of sausages, but go with the classic ristet (or “toasted”) variety and drag it through the Scandinavian garden: crispy and raw onions, remoulade, ketchup, mustard, and sweet, thinly sliced pickles. [$]

By day, Gothersgade is effortlessly urbane, one of the most pleasant stretches of the city (see Atelier September). At night, it’s a lurid goat rodeo of study abroad bars and sidewalk hurling. But there is one place worth a nighttime visit: Andy’s, a local classic that serves beer, Fernet, and cigarettes until 6 a.m.. Don’t head there before 1. Living in Copenhagen, it’s where you run into more familiar faces than you’d expect. [$]

Of all the places to drink minimal intervention wines in the city, Ved Stranden 10 is the best. It feels like a living room and overlooks the canal. There’s no menu. Just have a chat with one of the servers and they’ll set you up. If you’re around on a Monday, they serve "staff meal" beginning at 6 p.m. for a reasonable 100 DKK. Every week, it’s a different hearty choice, from ramen to beef bourguignon. Charcuterie, cheese, and snacks are available all the time. [$$-$$$]

Opened in 2007, Ruby pioneered seasonal craft cocktails in Copenhagen. It remains as good as ever. Grab a seat on one of the plush couches and cool down after touring nearby destinations like Tivoli, Christiansborg Castle, and the National Museum. [$$]

If you only go to one traditional Danish lunch spot, make it Schønnemann. This restaurant near the central shopping district has been open since 1877 and offers a staggering amount of smørrebrød. You can get your bread topped with over 15 types of herring, multiple tartares, great seafood — the list goes on. Somehow, it’s reliable across the board. [$$$]

Coffee Collective serves superior drinks, but Democratic on Krystalgade serves what many call the best croissant in Denmark: The almond version is crazy. The shop is smack in the middle of the stores and attractions of the old town center, so odds are it’ll be within walking distance more than once during your trip. [$]

Two young upstarts are behind this irreverent, bare bones restaurant where your meal will start with bull testicle fritters (served with tartar sauce, cheekily) and usually end with a whole pig’s head you have to attack with your hands. Sister restaurant Ante has just opened next door, promising a more refined and “involved” tasting. [$$ - $$$]

Torvehallerne might be the most well known food hall in Copenhagen, but this is the one you want to try. A modern warehouse on the harbor filled with different food stalls, it is the picture of idyllic Scandinavia. Copenhagen Street Food gets overrun with people from all over. Especially happy children. It's the perfect stop for a bite after visiting the Experimentarium City science museum. [$]

After more than a decade in operation, René Redzepi’s understated and warm restaurant in an old maritime warehouse — which has trained scores of today’s leading chefs and inspired more than a few sorry imitators — remains one of the most influential kitchens in the world. Noma is best known for rediscovering the Nordic terroir’s gastronomic potential, but most compelling of late have been its investigations into fermentation and how lauded residencies in Tokyo and Sydney have influenced the team's work in Denmark.

Reservations are as difficult to nab as ever, but try to get to the original harbor-side location before Redzepi and his crew move to new digs in 2017. [$$$$]

Ed. note: Noma closed on February 24, 2017. It will be relocating, and is expected to reopen in late fall 2017.

You probably won’t read about this family operation in too many guides, thanks to its tranquil location. Compared to far more publicized options, it’s practically clandestine. But it’s the place to go if you’re looking for charm, draught beer, and dishes like fried plaice without the hassle of having to make a reservation or dressing too well. The winning dish here is the pariserbøf, a kind of crispy burger patty that, thanks to the various garnishes that surround it, looks like a meat compass. NB: The public baths and diving tower of Islands Brygge are just a short walk away. [$]